


forgive me (at least just temporarily)

by gardevoirite



Series: you got him in your heart [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Closure, Lovers to Friends, M/M, Season 7 Spoilers, adam pov
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 11:26:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15436023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gardevoirite/pseuds/gardevoirite
Summary: “Still,” he starts to say, once the silence has become uncomfortable, “I’m sorry. For everything that happened. And especially for leaving when you needed me to be with you. For not being strong enough to be with you.”Takashi smiles. “I forgive you.” He feels like he doesn’t deserve that forgiveness. “And it’s been rough, to say the least, but life has moved on way, way too much for either of us to have regrets.”





	forgive me (at least just temporarily)

**Author's Note:**

> *holding up the confirmation that shiro is mlm like a golden globe award* id like to thank my friends and family for helping me make it this far
> 
> Jumped into the adam/shiro closure bandwagon bc that sure is some Good Shit
> 
> Title from one last time by ariana grande

The moment his eyes land on Takashi, it feels like the Earth stops turning in its axis.

  
But really, he should have expected this. Should have figured some sort of reunion was inevitable. After all, if Sam Holt can rise from the dead and announce the existence of Voltron, savior of the universe, then Adam can run into his also newly-resurrected ex fiancé.

  
He’s changed so _much_. It’s staggering, and a little heartbreaking. His right arm is missing. A large scar runs clean across his face. His hair is completely white, and Adam is sure that he doesn’t have time to bleach his hair during a war.

  
He doesn’t know how to approach him, but he doesn’t have to. Takashi meets his eye and even now he can read every emotion that goes through him from the smallest of movements.

  
And he isn’t the only one, it turns out. The one beside Takashi in the red armor, who Adam swears he’s seen before but he can’t quite put his finger on who it is, flickers his eyes over to him as soon as his body stiffens. He puts a hand on Takashi’s shoulder. “You okay?”

  
Takashi’s eyes soften when he directs his gaze at his friend. “I’m okay. But it looks like I have someone I need to talk to.”

  
“What? What are you-” then the guy’s eyes drift over to Adam, and they’re both struck with the same realization.

  
That’s _Keith_. Scruffy, angry little Keith who isn’t so little anymore. He’s grown so much taller. He’s the same height as Takashi’s eyes now when before he could barely reach his shoulders on his tiptoes. He has a scar too, right across his right cheek.

  
Keith breaks their stare first, taking a step back and letting his hand slip from Takashi’s shoulder. “Want us to leave? Give you some privacy?”

  
“All the meetings are done, anyway. I’m sure they’d want to go do their own thing for a while.” Takashi pauses. “Could you wait for me, though? Just - out of earshot?”

  
“Sure. I’ve been meaning to take Krolia to the cafeteria, anyway. She misses Earth food.” Keith gives Adam another glance, but he turns away before Adam can react. He gives Takashi a two finger salute (a memory of prickly teenager Keith doing the same thing comes up in Adam’s mind) and walks to their teammates, telling them they can relax for a while.

  
Next thing he knows, Takashi is in front of him, a smile on his face and his left hand stretched in front of him. “Hey.”

  
“Takashi.” He doesn’t have to force the smile on his face. “It’s good to see you.” He takes his hand, and is immediately pulled into a hug.

  
Takashi’s changed a lot, but one thing that hasn’t is how comforting his touch can be. Even now, with everything behind them, the warmth and the way his arm is wrapped around him softens him up, and he doesn’t hesitate to hug him back.

  
He’s a little floored by how kind, how welcoming Takashi’s treating him, considering how bad everything ended. Considering Takashi has gone through hell and back, and Adam never stuck around to support him.

  
“It’s good to see you too,” he says. And he steps out of the hug, because as comforting as it was, he knows nothing will be the same. Nothing has been since he walked out, all those years ago. “How’ve you been?”

  
It’s a dumb question, he realizes as soon as the words come out of his mouth. He’s about to backtrack and apologize when Takashi laughs. “Oh, y’know,” he says, mock-casually, shrugging for extra effect. “Doing good. Lost an arm. The usual.”

  
His sense of humor hasn’t changed either. Still, he snorts. “New hairstyle?”

  
“Oh, yeah. White’s really in with the aliens. Did you know quintessence makes for really good hair dye?”

  
They’re both laughing now, but theres a strange ache in Adam’s chest, because right this moment it _feels_ like nothing has changed, but as soon as the moment ends and their laughter dies it comes crashing down that too much has. They can’t go back to how they were. Despite the ache, he has a feeling neither of them want to go back, anyway.

  
“Still,” he starts to say, once the silence has become uncomfortable, “I’m sorry. For everything that happened. And especially for leaving when you needed me to be with you. For not being strong enough to be with you.”

  
Takashi smiles. “I forgive you.” He feels like he doesn’t deserve that forgiveness. “And it’s been rough, to say the least, but life has moved on way, way too much for either of us to have regrets.”

  
“… Are you happy?” He asks, because he has to know. Was every risk, every scar on his body worth it?

  
“… After all of this is over, I think there’s no way I can be happier.” Takashi’s gaze drifts over the cafeteria doors. “I’ve lost a lot, I know. But I’ve gained so much that I can’t find it in me to regret anything. I had a hand – literally – in saving the universe. I’ve found people who I can call my second family. I -”

  
There’s a flash of light, and a large black wolf with blue streaks suddenly appears before him, standing up on its hind legs to paw at Takashi’s chest. Takashi stumbles slightly at the sudden weight on him, but he laughs, running his hand through the wolf’s fur. “Hey there, buddy. What happened to sticking with your owner, hm?”

  
“Hey!” A voice calls out, and they all turn to the cafeteria doors, where Keith is standing, looking thoroughly embarrassed. “Get back here. You can play with Shiro later.”

  
The wolf whimpers, but gets off of Takashi once he’s given an ear scratch. There’s a flash of light again, and they hear a thud – it seems to have teleported back to Keith and tackled him back into the cafeteria.

  
Takashi laughs, a soft and fond sound that has Adam remembering the times he used to make him laugh that way. “Sorry about that.”

  
“It’s no problem.” He can’t help staring at the door where Keith came from. “Seems you’ve gained a lot more than a family.”

  
He’s right on the nose. When he looks back at Takashi, there’s a blush creeping on his cheeks. “I… yeah. I wouldn’t be here without him.”

  
“You love him.”

  
“So much,” Takashi says, voice almost down to a whisper. “He never gave up on me.”

  
“Just like you never gave up on him.” Regret washes over him, not for the first time today. “Not like how I gave up on you. I’m glad you have him.”

  
“I am, too.”

  
And that’s it.

  
“I’d – When all of this is over, I’d really like it if we could hang out again. Catch up.” He wouldn’t be surprised if Takashi refuses, but he doesn’t want him to disappear from his life again.

  
Thankfully, Takashi lights up. “I’ll take you up on that. You probably won’t believe half of the things that happened to me.”

  
He laughs. It feels like a weight has been lifted from him. “You should probably go back to the others. I’ll see you around, Takashi.”

  
“It’s – It’s Shiro. To my friends.”

  
“Okay then.” He accepts it easily. He knows he’s lost the privilege to call him so intimately. But he hopes soon he’ll be hearing that name again in Keith’s voice. “I’ll see you later, Shiro.”

**Author's Note:**

> I was going to include a part where keith and adam talk but this seemed like a good place to end it on - ill probably post that as another chapter or as a separate oneshot
> 
> My tumblr is @softlysheith <3


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